Subject(s)
Headache/diagnosis , Malaria, Vivax/diagnosis , Plasmodium vivax , Adult , Animals , Headache/etiology , Humans , Malaria, Vivax/complicationsABSTRACT
A study was made on Langerhans cells (LC) in the dermal lesions of leprosy after epicutaneous application of 2:4 dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) to the lesion. LC were quantitated with OKT6 monoclonal antibody and indirect immunofluorescence. A depletion or reduction in the numbers of CD1+ epidermal LC was observed at both 4 and 24 hours after the application of DNCB in the lesions of both tuberculoid and lepromatous leprosy, compared to untreated lesions.
Subject(s)
Dinitrochlorobenzene/therapeutic use , Langerhans Cells/drug effects , Leprosy, Lepromatous/drug therapy , Leprosy, Tuberculoid/drug therapy , Administration, Cutaneous , Antibodies, Monoclonal , Cell Count/drug effects , Humans , Langerhans Cells/pathologyABSTRACT
Highly bacillated untreated lepromatous cases with an initial BI 4+ of to 6+ were treated with combined multidrug treatment (MDT) and immunotherapy with heat killed Mycobacterium w or BCG. The vaccines were administered intradermally every six months. It was observed that majority of cases on immunotherapy showed increased lymphocytic infiltration (both at local and distant sites) and some cases showed epithelioid cells as well. The lymphocytic infiltration was (slightly) more vigorous in those vaccinated with Mycobacterium w. Such changes were not seen in the patients on MDT alone. Also, the granuloma fraction reduced much faster in cases who were on additional immunotherapy as compared to those on MDT alone. These changes along with evidence of clinical and bacteriological improvements suggest that immunotherapy may have an important supportive role specially in the therapy of anergic lepromatous cases.
Subject(s)
Antitubercular Agents/therapeutic use , BCG Vaccine/therapeutic use , Bacterial Vaccines/therapeutic use , Leprosy, Lepromatous/drug therapy , Mycobacterium/immunology , Vaccines, Inactivated/therapeutic use , Antitubercular Agents/administration & dosage , Antitubercular Agents/pharmacology , BCG Vaccine/administration & dosage , BCG Vaccine/pharmacology , Bacterial Vaccines/administration & dosage , Bacterial Vaccines/pharmacology , Biopsy , Combined Modality Therapy , Humans , Leprosy, Lepromatous/immunology , Leprosy, Lepromatous/pathology , Lymphocytes/pathology , Pilot Projects , Severity of Illness Index , Vaccines, Inactivated/administration & dosage , Vaccines, Inactivated/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Three multidrug regimens all containing rifampin and dapsone have been tried for the treatment of 278 cases of paucibacillary leprosy. Regimen I was the one recommended by the WHO Study Group. Regimen II was the same as Regimen I with depsone alone continued for a further 6 months. Regimen III was the same as Regimen II but rifampin was given daily for the first 7 days. The patients were comparable with regard to disease classification, lepromin status, bacteriological status, and number of lesions. As reported earlier, the disease inactivity rates by 1 year of treatment were much greater with Regimens II and III than with Regimen I (94% and 97% vs 76%). Early reaction was seen in 6% of those in Regimen III and in none in Regimens I and II. Late reaction was observed in 9% of those in Regimen I and none in Regimens II and III. During 3 1/2 years of follow up, 13% of the cases in Regimen I, 1% in Regimen II, and 2% in Regimen III relapsed. Since the patients in the three regimens were otherwise comparable, it is concluded that the high inactivity rate, low relapse rate (1%-2%), and no early or late reaction as observed in Regimen II patients were because of adequate treatment.
Subject(s)
Dapsone/therapeutic use , Leprosy/drug therapy , Rifampin/therapeutic use , Adult , Dapsone/administration & dosage , Drug Administration Schedule , Drug Therapy, Combination , Female , Humans , Lepromin , Leprosy/microbiology , Leprosy/pathology , Male , Recurrence , Rifampin/administration & dosageABSTRACT
Two infants, one 4 months old and the other 2 months old, having histologically confirmed indeterminate leprosy are reported. The route of infection, mode of transmission, and incubation period are discussed with reference to these two cases of infantile leprosy.
Subject(s)
Leprosy/diagnosis , Dapsone/therapeutic use , Female , Humans , Infant , Leprosy/drug therapy , Leprosy/pathology , Rifampin/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Langerhans cells (LC) in the skin lesions of 10 untreated indeterminate leprosy patients were defined by indirect immunofluorescence using monoclonal antibodies. No difference was observed in the numbers and distribution of epidermal LC in the indeterminate lesions and controls. However, the infiltrates of these lesions contained CD1+ cells. Most cells in the infiltrates HLA DR antigens.